Friendly Advice
by Sullys Sidekick
Summary: May 2009 short story challenge. *AR* The idea is to combine certain photos in a logical way. First picture is of Dr. Mike and Myra talking. Second picture is a combo - Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time, loosening a few buttons - Sully looking mesmerized.


FRIENDLY ADVICE

By: Tess Thieler - May 2009 Challenge Story

"Thank you, Dr. Mike."

"You're welcome, Myra."

The two women stepped through the saloon doors onto the porch.

"I don't know how I can replay ya."

"We're friends, Myra. It was just a check-up. I'm sure you'll think of something."

Myra beamed happily. "Friends? She reached out and caught Dr. Mike's arm, "Really?" The saloon girl glowed as if she had just met a celebrity. "I've never had a friend like you before."

Michaela's expression puzzled. "Like me?"

"Yeah… all prim and proper like. A real lady. My friends have always been us working girls… or customers."

Michaela smiled at her. "Well now you have one that isn't."

"What's it like, Dr. Mike?"

"What's what like?"

"You know – being all modest with guys actin' like perfect gentlemen around ya."

The lady doctor breathed deeply. "I - I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"Don't ya get lonely?"

"Lonely?"

"Yeah, lonely… for the company of a man?"

Michaela suddenly felt like crawling beneath the floor boards. "Myra!"

Her outburst shocked the saloon girl. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought that since ya said we're friends and all, we could talk some girl talk."

"Girl talk?"

"Yeah. Me and my other friends talk about things like that all the time."

"You do?"

"Sure we do." Her curious eyes searched the older woman's face, "Dr. Mike, you seem uptight."

"Uptight?" Michaela smiled nonchalantly, but the blush on her cheeks revealed her embarrassment.

"Yeah... uptight. Maybe you should let your hair down once in awhile."

The lady doc eyed the saloon girl as if she were nuts. "Let my hair down?"

"Sure. I seen how Sully hangs around ya all the time. Everyone has. Maybe I've even seen that special spark in his eyes when he looks at ya, too."

"Myra, that's impossible. Sully and I haven't known each other very long. Barely a few months. We're just friends."

"Well folks in town have noticed he's sweet on ya. Maybe if ya weren't so prim and proper like, he'd already shown ya just how much."

Before Michaela could object to what "just how much" probably meant, Sully pulled up in her wagon.

"Sorry I'm late, Dr. Mike," he called out as he leaped off the wagon's seat. "It took Robert E longer to shoe your horse than I figured."

Reaching out to assist her into the wagon, he grasped her hand and their eyes locked. There it was. That gleam in his eyes Myra spoke of only moments ago. How long had it been there? How come she never noticed until now?

Blushing slightly, Michaela smiled at him. "Thank you, Sully."

"Anytime, Dr. Mike."

After nodding politely to Myra in greeting, Sully climbed up and seated himself next to the lady doctor. Since Michaela hadn't already reached for the reins, he picked them up. When she didn't object he flicked them, urging the horse into motion.

The movement of the wagon jarred Michaela from her wandering thoughts. She briefly waved to Myra as they pulled away.

Myra jumped up and down excitedly. "Told ya so!" she called out then bounded back into the saloon.

After turning the corner out of town, Sully refocused on the dreamy-eyed woman seated next to him. "Dr. Mike – you okay?"

Her name spoken aloud pulled Michaela back to reality with lightning speed. "Um, sure. I'm fine."

"Ya don't seem fine," the mountain man observed. "And it's not like you to not want to drive your own wagon."

"Oh… I suppose you're right. I was just thinking about something Myra said."

Sully nodded then chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I just can't imagine Myra saying anything that would make you think that hard."

Michaela grinned. "It was just some friendly advice."

"Advice? From Myra?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Myra thinks I need to relax more."

"Well, that makes sense," he agreed.

"It does?"

"Yep. Seems to me you can be pretty uptight at times."

"Really?"

Sully nodded and flicked the reins to increase the horse's speed.

Michaela released a long breath. "Well then… since you seem to concur with her, I guess I should try her advice. No time like the present."

Without a motion wasted, Michaela released the tight bun from her hair. She shook it loose, allowing her glorious mane to tumble freely over her shoulders. Arching her back in a tension-easing stretch, she lifted her face to the sun.

It was all Sully could do to keep his attention on the road. What was she trying to do to him? Fighting for a breath he shifted his eyes from the enticing woman at his side. Bright sunlight nearly blinded him. Glancing back at Michaela he nearly fell off the wagon. Relaxing was one thing, but this was going too far. In the blink of an eye, the demure lady doctor from Boston had unbuttoned her dress and allowed the confining material to fall about her tiny waist. Her hands now massaged her head, loosening the locks of her luscious mane.

"Oh... that does feel much better," she purred soothingly. Invigorated with the carefree feeling, she began to undo the buttons of her restrictive camisole.

Sully's mouth went dry. Distracted by the bewitching beauty, he failed to negotiate a curve in the road and allowed Dr. Mike's horse to steer them directly into a shallow creek. Michaela appeared to not even notice. She opened two more buttons. With his brain held hostage, Sully stared unblinking at her as the lacy straps dropped from her shoulders. "Whoa – hold on!"

"To you? Gladly."

Did he hear her right?

Smiling seductively, she leaned toward him. The delicate straps slid down her arms as her camisole gapped open revealingly. Exposed white creamy skin blinded Sully even more than the brilliant sunlight overhead. It was too much for him to bear.

"Stop!"

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

As if consumed in a trance, Michaela's question pulled the dazed mountain man from another realm of consciousness. "Huh?"

"Bear is already in the water," she stated matter-of-factly. "It's a little late to try to stop him now."

Cold reality slapped Sully in the face. As his vision returned to normal he shook his head, striving desperately to refocus his devious mind. Glancing back at Michaela, shock tore through him like a bolt of lightning. His companion was completely… dressed? Her hair remained loosely hanging down her back. She looked concerned.

"Sully, are you alright?"

The dazed mountain man slid a hand down his face. What in the world just happened?

Extending her arm, Michaela touched a hand to his forehead. Sully nearly jumped out of his skin.

"You're feeling a bit warm. I think you've been in the hot sun too long." Grabbing his fringed leather coat, she tugged it off him. "There. That should help cool you down."

Confused, he could barely look her in the eye. How could he allow his mind to think of her in such a seductive manner?

"I think Bear's had plenty to drink," Michaela mentioned. "Why don't we move the wagon into the shade where it's cooler?"

Good idea. She had no clue as to just how much HE needed to cool off. Fighting to refocuse, he flicked the reins and moved them out of the shallow creek. The shade felt good.

After a moment, Michaela reached out again to touch his forehead, and then his hand. "You're cooler. Feeling better yet?"

Sully nodded.

"Good." She seemed relieved. "Sully… I'd like to ask you something… personal." Her hesitation was most evident. "Do you really think I should wear my hair down more often?"

"No."

"No?" Michaela felt shocked at his answer.

He twisted to face her. "At least not when you're doctorin.'"

"But Myra thinks-"

"I'm sure she does," he cut her off, "but Myra ain't you."

"So you don't like it when I wear my hair down?"

He grinned, sensing the insecurities of her feminine wiles lying beneath her confidant exterior. "Sure I like it. But so will other men you treat." He drew in a calming breath. "Dr. Mike, don't you want patients to see you as a doctor first?"

She nodded. "I suppose you're right."

He smiled reassuringly. "Let me offer you some friendly advice. If I were you, I'd always wear my hair up when I'm doctorin'"

Not convinced, she pressed him further. "Sully… Do you really think wearing my hair down would become a problem for my patients who happen to be men?"

Tipping her chin with a finger, he surprised her with an ever-so-gentle kiss on her inviting lips. "I do - take it from your most recent patient who already knows."


End file.
